International Development Research Centre

In 1970, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) was created by an Act of Parliament, with the mandate of supporting the creation and utilization of research for development.  (IDRC's primary mission is to support research by Southern researchers (i.e. researchers resident in low and middle-income countries), addressing development priorities identified by the South.  The ultimate beneficiaries of the research supported by IDRC should be communities in the countries of the South, particularly marginalized or disadvantaged groups. IDRC feels that Canadians have much to offer in building research capacity in the South, as well as in directly addressing critical health issues affecting the populations of the developing world.  IDRC therefore strongly supports efforts to promote Canadian "global health thinking" leading to global health research and action to close the 10-90 gap.

An exploratory and complementary component of the Global Health Research Pilot Project Grants RFA, administered through IDRC, will explore the feasibility and effectiveness of directly funding low- and middle-income country-based research programs through the Global Health Research Pilot Projects (new window) [Help].  This component is intended to encourage research leadership and proactive South-South and South-North (in this case, South-Canada) partnership development from a base in lower- and middle-income countries.  It thereby complements the main CIHRcompetition of which it is a component.  Applications from Canadian- and southern-based research teams will be assessed by the same criteria and peer review process.  Grants to south-based institutions will be administered by IDRC.

IDRC's Governance, Equity and Health Program Initiative, in any low or middle-income country (GEH) examines health systems through a governance lens and, conversely, uses health as an entry point to approach challenges of governance - how power is exercised, how decisions are taken, how citizens have their say. Its mission is to strengthen health systems, promote civic engagement and make research matter.

The GEH program supports research to:

. Strengthen and monitor the capacity of governments to ensure equitable financing and delivery of priority public health and health care services, especially to marginalized and underserved populations;

. Support informed and effective citizen demand and participation throughout the policy-to-practice process; and
 
. Increase the effectiveness of research-to-policy linkages in promoting the dual goals of health and social equity.

The table below identifies the number of applications received and approved under two national, multidisciplinary peer review committees (GLA and GLB) created for the IDRC component of this Global Health Pilot Project Grant Strategic Initiative. 

All questions related to the IDRC component of the Global Health Research Pilot Project Grant Initiative should be directed to IDRC at health@idrc.ca.

For further information about the CIHR component of this Initiative, please contact:

Michelle Hume (Program Delivery Coordinator)
Tel: (613) 957-8842
Fax: (613) 957-8782
E-mail: michelle.hume@cihr-irsc.gc.ca